Arkansas has been absolutely killing it lately when it comes to attracting gun and ammo manufacturers.

Arkansas has been the home of smaller custom gun companies like Wilson Combat/Scattergun Tech and Nighthawk Custom for many years. And Remington had had their lone ammo factory here for the past 5 decades. Plus we also have several accessory manufacturers like Choate and Thermold, and also house a number of air gun manufacturers, including Gamo, Umarex, and Daisy.

But just in the last few years, there have been an increasing number of new facilities built in Arkansas by companies including Walther, CZ, and SIG.

And now it appears Fiocchi will be joining them too:

https://www.nwahomepage.com/ne...ming-to-little-rock/

Keep em coming!

Great news!!

Fiocchi? I thought them boys was in in Eye-tally.

Yep, but now they'll have domestic manufacturing capabilities.

A number of foreign companies have opened US-based manufacturing facilities based in Arkansas. That was the case with CZ and Walther, and SIG partially. And now Fiocchi.

One of the things that politicians have figured out is if they can get a large manufacturer of a product to move to an area then other manufacturers related to that product or even competitors will often follow...more and more jobs...

Michilin came here many years ago and then later along comes BMW and all kinds of supplier companies.... now, even though we are in a country wide economic shutdown all around the country... Greenville, S.C. is still a boom town...

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
Yep, but now they'll have domestic manufacturing capabilities.

Considering that the US is their number one customer, this makes sense.

Lets hope more US firearms related companies see the light and continue moving to more friendly states. KIMBER is moving to AL from NY.

Its interesting you mentioned Wilson Combat. I lived in Berryville years ago and remember Wilson's started out in the back of the family jewelry store on the square in Berryville.

James

Yep. And then along the way, some of the Wilson smiths split off and opened up Nighthawk Custom, also in Berryville.

Interestingly, Berryville PD is one of the only agencies I know of that still issue 1911 duty guns to all their officers, which they get from Wilson Combat.

Fiocchi has had a plant in Springfield Missouri since '85 or '86.

Good. Keep em coming. I love bringing good businesses to good states.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
Yep. And then along the way, some of the Wilson smiths split off and opened up Nighthawk Custom, also in Berryville.

Interestingly, Berryville PD is one of the only agencies I know of that still issue 1911 duty guns to all their officers, which they get from Wilson Combat.

The owner/head hancho of Nighthawk is the FORMER Mrs Wilson. When she left she took a bunch of the 'smiths with her. This is NOT verified information, and I will look in to it more.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Johnny 3eagles,

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
Fiocchi? I thought them boys was in in Eye-tally.

Me too!! LOL

quote:

Originally posted by john crusher:
Fiocchi has had a plant in Springfield Missouri since '85 or '86.

Yep. They make good stuff.

quote:

Originally posted by Johnny 3eagles:

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
Yep. And then along the way, some of the Wilson smiths split off and opened up Nighthawk Custom, also in Berryville.

Interestingly, Berryville PD is one of the only agencies I know of that still issue 1911 duty guns to all their officers, which they get from Wilson Combat.

The owner/head hancho of Nighthawk is the FORMER Mrs Wilson. When she left she took a bunch of the 'smiths with her.

Johnny 3eagles

Can you provide a source for that? According to Wikipedia it was formed by gunsmiths that did leave Wilsons but is owned/founded by Mark Stone.

James

It's nice to see more businesses moving manufacturing to the U.S. for once.

I was told that by a gunsmith/instructor (Rogers, who has since left Arkansas) when I questioned him about two custom gun builders in one small community. That was about 10 years ago, about a year after we moved here. I have heard it several times since and took it as fact. Now you have piqued my interest and will look in to it.

I am going to change my post above to reflect this.

Wilson was in the process of building my Millennium when that whole thing was going on. The salesman told me they were having trouble with their head gunsmith and he later said that the gunsmith in question had quit and started his own company. That was the excuse for my gun being five months late, anyway. I ended up sending it back for multiple issues and they DC'd the model almost immediately. They didn't really say but I always assumed that's how Nighthawk came to be.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
Yep, but now they'll have domestic manufacturing capabilities.

Considering that the US is their number one customer, this makes sense.

Fiocchi has been manufacturing ammo in the USA for some time. More than 75% of the ammunition sold by Fiocchi in the United States is manufactured at Fiocchi America's production facility in Ozark, Missouri.

Opening a new manufacturing facility in Arkansas is still a good thing though...